Interview with Women Owned Bloom City Club
Ganjily interviewed Chandra Violet & Aly Banta of Bloom City Club, the first female-owned and operated dispensary in Michigan. Here’s some highlights:
Chandra Violet is the Operations & Sourcing Director for Bloom Cannabis. Aly Banta is their Operations and Training Director. Bloom offers organic, pesticide-free, high-quality cannabis, produced exclusively by members of their collective of caregivers.
Ganjly: What is your background and what made you decide to pursue a career in cannabis?
Chandra Violet: I was an artist/crafter for many years, making jewelry and selling at festivals throughout the midwest. I also managed a small family farm for 5 years. I had many friends already in the cannabis industry in various ways. At a time when I was in a transitional period in my life, I was offered a job at one of my best friends dispensaries. Best decision!
Ganjly: What is your proudest moment since you started down this path of being an entrepreneur in the cannabis space?
Chandra Violet: Sitting down with a local police officer who had concerns about how our business was run and making sure cannabis was not getting into the hands of minors. It was a respectful conversation and I confidently gave him the answers he was seeking. He left knowing we were a strict and professional business adhering to all local and state laws. I felt proud at how far this industry has come. I felt proud for all the patients we help and all the people we employ. It was a good moment! Another proud moment was seeing a product I helped to develop, from start to finish, hit the shelves and people loving it.
Aly Banta: The proudest moment in my cannabis career was the day I saw a dear friend and loyal patient at Bloom walk through our front door without her cane which she had been fully dependant on for the past 2 years due to the severe arthritis in both her knees. We had been consulting with her for several days and were finally able to navigate her towards CBD capsules and a topical that extinguished her pain level to a manageable state.
More of the interview at Ganjily. Explore the Ann Arbor, Burton & Battle Creek locations of Bloom City Club on their website or through their Instagram & Facebook.
photo via Bloom City Club on Facebook
